### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, DC 20590 May 21, 2014

The Honorable Charles E. Schumer United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Schumer: Thank you foryour letter regarding Essential Air Service (EAS) funding atJamestown, New York. Inyour letter, you urge the U.S. Department ofTransportation to consider awaiver to continue EAS funding for the Chautauqua County Airport inJamestown, despite its Fiscal Year 2013 enplanements.
. As you know, the current Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization included aprovision, 49 U.S.C. 

## S41731 (a)(I)(B), that requires EAS communities within 175 miles ofalarge or medium hub to average 10ormore passengers aday inorder to remain inthe program, or receive awaiver from the Secretary to remain intheprogram under 49 U.S.C. 

## S 41731(e). The Department recently finalized itsreview ofFiscal Year 2013 data, and Jamestown enplaned an average of 10.1 passengers per service day, meeting the 10ormore enplanement requirement. Therequirement to maintain 10ormore enplanements is ongoing, so we urge the community to maximize use ofits service during Fiscal Year2014, the next period when enplanements will be measured. Weare aware that Silver Airways recently provided notice ofits intent toterminate service at Jamestown. The Department has required Silver to maintain service until areplacement carrier is selected. As isour standard practice, Iam placing acopy ofyour letter and my response inDocket DOT-OST-2003-14950, as acontact outside the record ofthis case. You may track the progress ofthis case and view the publicly available documents filed inthe docket by accessing the Federal Docket Management System atwww.regulations,gov and searching for Docket DOT-OST-2003-14950. Ihope this information ishelpful. Sin~~),



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# i ~~ ~nthOny R. Foxx
.CHARU:S E. SCHUMER NEW"""" 

# United ~tQtes~cnJte WASHINGTON. DC 20510
January 27, 2014

The Honorable Anthony Foxx Secrctary of Transportation U.S. Departmcnt of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.B. Washington, D.C. 20590

Dear Secretary Foxx, BANKING OEMOCRA TICPOlICV & COMMUNICATIONS

ANANCe JUDICIARY RUleS

I write today to urge you to consider exercising your authority under 49 U.S.C. 

## S 41731 in support ofa Fiscal Year 2014 waiver for Essential Air Service (EAS) funding for the Chautauqua County Airport in Jamestown, New York. As you know, EAS funding is critical to the Chautauqua County community and without it therc would not be commercial service available to residents or businesses in the region. For Fiscal Year 2013, Chautauqua County estimates that their enplanements per day ,,~ll be 9.96, which isjust 38 total passengers below the 10 per day average required for the year. There are a number of factors that have caused lower enplanement numbers in 2013, many if not all of which should not exist next year, and so as a result Iurge you to approve a waiver and keep Chautauqua County eligible for EAS upon their request in 2014. This past year alone Chautauqua County estimates that roughly 52 nighis were cancelled as a result of inclement weather and equipment failure, ifthose flights had not been cancelled then their enplanement number would have far exceeded the 

### 10.0required. Furthemlore. there were a number of technical issues with the Automated Weather Observation Station (AWOS) which resulted in additional cancelled flights, the airline and airport are working together to correct those issues which will also result in an increase in enplanements. In addition to addressing these issues, Chautauqua County is working in collaboration with Silver Airlines and local attractions like the Seneca-Alleghany Casino, Chautauqua Wine Trail, the Lucy-Desi Museum, the Chautauqua Institution and other local attractions to increase passenger counts through cross-promotion and collaboration. Lastly, Chautauqua County is working with Silver Airlines to negotiate lower-fare service from the airport, which has already had a net positive impact on ridership. In the last three months passenger counts arc up 17% from their 2012 totals and the airport e1Cpectsthat number to continue to increase.Itis forthe above reasons thatI strongly encourage you to issue a:waiver tothe

Chautauqua County Airport and allow EAS funding to continue tobe used to support service there. Itis good for local residents, will help boosttourism, and most importantly provides a valuable asset inthe communities' efforts to create andretain good, high payingjobs inthe region. 

# ~U- Charles E. Schumer United States Senator